Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth unveiled a statue of former Tamil Nadu chief minister MG Ramachandran at Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute in Chennai on account of the university's 30th anniversary, on Monday, 5 March.
Rajinikanth presented the MGR Award to 49 special members at the event.
Actors Prabhu, son of late thespian Sivaji Ganesan, and Vijayakumar were amongst those from the film industry present on the occasion.
This was Rajinikanth's first major public engagement since he revealed his political intentions on December 31, 2017.
According to NDTV, the actor arrived at the institute in an Audi SUV, waving to over 5,000 people gathered outside through the car's sunroof.
Political Hoardings Stoke Controversy
According to The News Minute, huge banners welcoming Rajinikanth have been placed one after the other, covering close to six kilometres on the stretch of a main road in Chennai's Maduravoyal, leading to the institute.
The banners have stoked controversy after a well-known activist, Traffic Ramaswamy, alleged that the posters have been put up in violation of rules and are causing problems for pedestrians. He has threatened to complain to the Madras High Court on Tuesday, 6 March, reported NDTV.
“I will be visiting the area of Maduravoyal up to Valasaravakkam as thousands of Rajini banners have been erected at the expense of pedestrian life. If not removed, I will remove them”, said Ramaswamy, according to TNM.
Speaking to TNM, Jayaraman Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam called it a violation of municipal laws as well as contempt of court. He also said if Rajinikanth wants to create change in the system, he has to openly tell his cadre to not put up such banners.
Demanding an apology from the politician, Jayaraman said, “He must apologise for this whole thing and an FIR must be filed against all those people who have been involved in putting up these illegal banners”.
Earlier in the day, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan made a snide remark on the aforementioned billboards of Rajinikanth earning the wrath of pedestrians, saying "change must begin from within”.
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